


Hero's Return

by Thephantominthemists



Series: Hero [2]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-09-08 13:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8846152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thephantominthemists/pseuds/Thephantominthemists
Summary: When an injured man stumbles out in front of Mary's car, she is shocked to see who it is. But Leonard Snart died destroying the Oculus, or so his closest friends and allies think. Sequel to my story Hero, read that first or you will be lost.





	1. Chapter 1

*****The Vanishing Point, Somewhere Outside of Time*****

*****Leonard Snart POV*****

Leonard stood with his right arm inside the machine that Rip had called The Oculus; with his hand firmly holding the failsafe down to make sure it would explode. To any sane person doing this would sound crazy. But there were three reasons why he was standing here and ultimately giving up his life.

One: No one had ever claimed that Leonard was sane.

Two: It would either be him or Mick and Leonard owed Mick too much to let him sacrifice his life. Not after he had abandoned Mick in that forest. Mick had always been there for him, having his back ever since they had met in Juvie, now it was time for Leonard to have his.

And three: Destroying the Oculus was the only way to guarantee that the Time Masters could no longer manipulate the timeline, thus giving the rest of the team the chance to stop Vandal Savage.

Leonard ducked his head down behind the Oculus as another laser blast bounced off the housing. Taking the chance, he looked behind him and was relieved to see that Sara had finally managed to drag the unconscious Mick back to where the rest of the team was. When the assassin turned back around to look at him one last time, Leonard could see the sadness written across her face.

 _“Go!”_ he thought trying not to think about the kiss that Sara had given him before she had left with Mick.

Leonard shook his head, unwilling to give into regrets and what ifs, not here at the end.

 _“Well, at least I am dying with my boots on,”_ he thought grimly, having always hoped to go out in a blaze of glory; he just had not seen his end as being a hero.

 At the thought of being a hero, as he felt the Oculus heat up uncomfortably around his arm, the memory of the one person who had ever proclaimed him to be one came to mind. The memory of Mary Alexander as he had last seen her, standing before him with a soft smile on her face as she looked up at him, her confident words ringing in his ears

“ _It does not matter if others, including you, don’t believe you can be a hero,”_ she had said, _“You will always be one to me.”_  

 _“You were right,”_ he thought, wishing that there was some way that she would know that she had been right to believe in him.

Suddenly a group of armed guards came around the side of the Oculus with their guns pointed at him, the Time Master that Rip had called Druse at the front.

“Shut it off!” Druse demanded, taking a step toward the platform that the Oculus stood on.

The only answer he got from Leonard was a glare.

“SHUT IT OFF!” Druse screamed at him.

“There are no strings on me!” Leonard quipped sarcastically as the Oculus began to glow and shake before letting off a high pitched whine.

Then suddenly everything was blotted out in a bright blueish-white light. Leonard’s right arm, the side of his face, and the upper part of his torso suddenly felt as if it were on fire, taking all of his strength to keep his hand where it was. He then felt as if he were falling as the sound of a loud explosion happened around him. As he fell, Leonard last thought was for his little sister, Lisa, and he hoped that she would be ok. That she would find a new, fresh start without him. Finally, he could hold on no more and gave in, falling into the brilliant light.  

*****Central City, 2016*****

*****Mary POV*****

“Oh come on!” I grumbled having to hit my brakes again, as I sat in traffic behind a large, white, van that obviously did not know where they were going and thought that driving 25 mph in a 45 mph zone was appropriate, “I just wanna go home!”

Sighing in frustration, I reached over, turned my heat down and unzipped the front of the overly large, dark blue, parka I wore. I had just gotten off work, was tired, hungry, and sore. Reaching up, I rubbed my left shoulder, trying to relieve the ache that the cold January weather was causing. It had been over a year since the incident that had caused the injury, but the cold weather never ceased to make it hurt.

Over a year ago I had been a security shift supervisor at a call center for a private banking firm when three armed men had somehow gained access to the building. One of those men had been Leonard Snart. While trying to evacuate the building I had been shot in the shoulder and then subsequently abducted by Snart’s two partners, after they had double crossed him. After two and a half days, Snart had found where they had been hiding and came for his revenge. In the process he had surprised everyone by rescuing me. In the short time that I had been with him, I had seen one undeniable thing. There was good in Leonard Snart and even if everyone thought I was wrong, he was a hero to me.

Looking to my left I spotted a side street that was empty and decided to try a short cut, if it would get me out of traffic. Cutting left, I started down the dark street as thought of the man that had saved my life filled my mind and I burrowed down into the parka that had been his. When he had left me at the hospital, he had left the parka on me. Six weeks later he had surprised me by showing up in my apartment, obviously uncomfortable with my declaring he was a hero. A smile I could not help came to my face as I thought about what he had said to me when I had tried to give him the parka back.

 _“Keep it as a reminder,”_ he had said, _“For the next time you find trouble to run **faster**.”_ I laughed slightly at the memory and wondered where Leonard had gotten off to, as I had not seen or heard from or about him in over a year.

It could be that he and his sister had finally left town, as the heat on them as criminals would undoubtedly have caught up with them eventually. It could also be that a lot had changed with me in the last year also. I had been promoted from shift to site supervisor, and consequently first shift, and had moved from my small apartment in the crowded part of town I was into a nice two bedroom house out toward Kingston. Maybe I had not been paying the close attention that I thought I had. I just hoped that he had finally seen the good in himself that I knew was there. I sighed and shook my head at myself, anyone would believe with the way I thought about this man that I was in love.

Laughing at the thought, I turned a corner and went down a narrow street bordered on both sides by tall buildings. It happened seconds later. As I quickly looked down at the clock in my dash board, a slight movement caught the corner of my eye. I looked up and quickly slammed on my brakes as a person stumbled out of an alley and right into the path of my car. With screeching tires, my car slid to a stop and I sat there with a death grip on the steering wheel.

 _“Oh Lord,”_ I prayed silently as I finally got out of the car on shaking legs, _“Please don’t let me have just killed someone!”_

As I walked to the front of my car, I saw someone on their knees on the pavement.

 _“No,”_ I thought as panic started to build inside of me as I spotted the familiar close cropped dark hair that had more gray in it than the last time I had saw him, _“I can’t be!”_

I knelt down in front of him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Leonard?” I asked in a soft, shocked tone of voice causing him to look up at me and I gasped at what I saw.

“Oh no,” I gasped, seeing what looked to be burns running up his right arm, down the upper part of his torso and neck, with a few across his jaw and cheek, “What happened to you?!”

“Mary?” he asked, sounding uncertain and surprised, “Where… where am I?”

“Um… we are at Fifth and Flagler,” I replied, looking up at the street signs that were illuminated by my headlights.

“I’m… I’m back in Central City?” he asked, looking at me with dazed eyes.

“Leonard, what happened to you,” I asked again, scared by the look in his eyes.

His pupils were so dilated that only the rim of his blueish-green irises could be seen.

“I…I don’t know,” he replied, slumping forward to lean against me, “I can’t remember.”


	2. Chapter 2

*****Leonard POV*****

 As Leonard regained consciousness he found himself lying on the freezing pavement so dazed that he was only able to register a few things initially. First and foremost was the extremely excruciating pain running down his right side, with his arm being the worse. The second being the freezing temperatures and the soft, drizzling, rain that was quickly soaking into his tattered clothes. The final thing was the smell of rancid garbage, indicating that there was probably a full dumpster nearby. Finally, Leonard opened his eyes and saw that for some reason he was lying on the ground in a dark alley with no memory of how he had gotten there. Gathering his strength, Leonard pushed himself to his feet only to stagger to the side and ram his left shoulder into a dumpster as dizziness and nausea from the pain almost made him fall back down.

_"_ _Well that explains where the smell is coming from,”_ Leonard thought to himself as he staggered toward the end of the alley, wanting to find shelter so he could take stock of his wounds.

However, with his mind in a daze of pain and confusion he could not even figure out where he was or which way he was heading; which would explain what happened next. Upon exiting the alley, his stumbling feet caught on the broken curb and sent him falling to his knees in front of an oncoming car. As the driver slammed on their breaks, Leonard curled in upon himself and waited for the car to hit him.

_“Well this is not exactly how I thought I would die,”_ he thought bitterly, as he listened to the cars screeching tires.

Finally, the car slammed to a stop about a foot from him, but whatever strength that had enabled Leonard to get up and walk out of that alley seemed to have left him. So there he stayed, on his knees in front of the car as the haze of pain and confusion started to cloud his mind again. He heard the sound of a car door opening and footsteps approaching without fully registering the sounds. He was finally brought somewhat out of the haze by a gentle hand on his left shoulder and a voice.

“Leonard?” it asked sounding shocked.

It was a voice that he had thought he would never hear again, causing him to look up to see **_her_** kneeling before him.

“Mary?” he asked in an uncertain tone of voice.

_“Could it really be her or am I dreaming?”_ he thought as he looked at her kneeling in front of him, with the light from her car headlights and the misty rain falling around them making her hair look the color of flames and her skin luminescent, she looked very much like an guardian angel to him in that moment.         

However the gasp that left her, along with the slight tightening of her hand on his shoulder, as she took in his wounds, assured him that she was indeed real.

“Where… where am I?” he asked, having missed what she had just said.

“Um… we are at Fifth and Flagler,” she replied looking around.

“I’m… I’m back in Central City?” he asked, shocked as the last thing he remembered was…

_“Where was I before…”_ he thought as he tried to remember, _“The team… Mick…Sara…”_

But he just could not remember, as the intensity of the pain made it difficult to think clearly.

“Leonard,” Mary said again, her urgent tone of voice bringing his eyes back to hers, “What happened to you?”

“I…I don’t know,” he replied, suddenly feeling so tired that he started to slump forward until his left side was leaned against her, “I can’t remember.”

With this admission came fear, something that he usually tried not to show, as he started to feel himself start to shiver from the cold and his wounds.

“It’s ok,” Mary said in a comforting tone of voice as she pushed him upright before taking off the overly large parka that she wore over her security uniform.

Leonard felt a faint hint of amusement as he recognized it as the one that he had left with her and would have smiled if he had not been in such pain.

“We need to get you some help,” she said softly, as she gently pulled the parka around his shoulders, helping him to slide his left arm in the sleeve but left his right arm cradled against his chest before zipping it up.

“This feels like Déjà vu,” he said quietly, “Only in reverse.”

*****Mary POV*****

I smiled slightly at his quip, knowing exactly what he was talking about, before moving to his left side and pulling his arm around my shoulders.

“We need to get you to a hospital,” I said, “But my phone is dead so I can’t call an ambulance.”

“Do you think you can walk to my car?” I asked before he turned his head to look at me.

“No,” he replied.

“Leonard, you have to help me,” I said, thinking that he did not know if you could get up, “I’m not strong enough to carry you.”

“No,” Leonard said again, this time with a shake of his head, “No hospital.”

“What,” I said shocked, “Leonard, you need a doctor!”

“The only doctor I will get at any hospital comes with a pair of handcuffs and a prison cell,” he said through clenched teeth, as he turned back to look at me.

Though I was relieved to see his eyes getting clearer and him seeming more alert the more we talked, I could feel irritation rising within me as I had forgotten just how stubborn he was.

“Leonard, I am no doctor,” I tried to reason with him; “You need more help than I can offer.”

“I am not getting arrested like this,” he said with another shake of his head.

“Leonard…” I tried again.

“Mary, please!” he pleaded with a beseeching look and I caught my breath.

Looking at him I knew this was not Captain Cold demanding, this was Leonard Snart, the man who had saved my life, begging me not to let him get arrested and I felt my resolve crack as my heart went out to him.

“Okay,” I said softly, “Let’s just get you to the car and hope that your injuries are not as bad as they look.”

 Leonard nodded slightly at me and, while leaning heavily on me, managed to push himself to his feet.

Keeping my right arm securely around him, while trying to not hold his right side too tightly, and held tightly to his left arm that was around my shoulders as we finally managed to get to my car and had him safely in my passenger seat before I ran around and got in. As we drove toward my house, I kept glancing over at him and watched him as he sat with his head leaned back and his eyes closed, I began to pray that this was not as bad of a decision as I felt it was.

Twenty minutes later we pulled into my driveway and I parked with the passenger door as close to my front walk as I could before shutting off the car and quickly going to the passenger side to help him out. Carefully easing him out, we slowly made our way to the door. I know that leaning on me could not be easy, seeing as the top of my head only came to Leonard’s chin, but we finally made it to the door and I quickly unlocked it. Once inside I was able to carefully maneuver Leonard onto one of my two couches before turning to head back outside. Leonard grabbed my wrist as I turned to leave.

“Where?” he asked, obviously out of breath from the pain that getting to the couch had caused.

“It’s ok,” I reassured him, covering his hand with my own, “I just need something out of my car.”

Leonard looked at me for a moment before letting me go with a nod. I quickly ran back out to my car and grabbed my first aid kit from the trunk, as part of my job required I carry one and this one was larger and better stocked than the small one I kept at my house. Heading back inside, I paused for a moment on the porch, to gather my thoughts and took a deep breath to steady my nerves, before heading back inside.


	3. Chapter 3

*****Mary POV*****

Walking inside, I quickly shut and locked the front door before turning on several lights. Leonard was still sitting where I had left him, on my couch that was facing the front door, with his head leaned back and eyes closed. The only sign that he showed of the pain he was in came from his left hand being tightly balled into a fist and his clenched jaw. He opened his eyes and watched me as I approached and placed the kit on my coffee table.

“This would be easier if you were lying down,” I instructed quietly.

“My mother raised me with better manners,” he replied with a lopsided smirk that raised only the left side of his mouth, “She would not have approved of my shoes on your nice couch.”

“I have a feeling that you have done a lot of things your mother would not have approved of,” I replied with a snort.

“Probably,” Leonard agreed with a raised brow as a slight laugh escaped him, before kicking off his shoes and turning to recline back against the arm of the couch with his right arm on the outside.

After he did this, I ran to the bathroom and grabbed a clean washcloth and took off my uniform shirt, leaving me in the black turtleneck that I wore underneath, I then went to the kitchen and grabbed a small bowl, filling it with water. Finally, I returned, set the bowl and washcloth on the table before sitting next to Leonard. As I looked him over, I knew that I was going to have to cut the left side of what looked to be the remains of a black jacket he was wearing, as there would be no way that I was going to be able to pull it over his wounds without causing him great pain.

Searching through my kit, I finally found the scissors before turning back to him.

“This is going to hurt, you know,” I said softly, starting to feel sick at the amount of pain I was about to cause him.

“Don’t worry about it. I have a high pain tolerance,” he replied, “Besides you can think of it as payback.”

“Payback?” I asked, in a shocked tone, “For what?”

“The peroxide,” he replied with another lopsided smirk.

I could not help the slight laugh that escaped me as I shook my head at him.

“I would never do that,” I replied, turning back to the jacket, trying to figure the best and easiest way of getting it off.

“Then you are a rare person,” he said quietly, causing me to look back up at him.

His intense gaze held me prisoner for a few seconds before I forced myself to turn away, feeling a deep blush come to my face, as I did not have a reply for that. Carefully I began cutting away the tatters of what looked to be the remnants of a leather jacket, making sure to cut all the way down to the hem and the top of the collar before gently pulling it off on his left side. Casting the remains of the jacket to the floor, I realized that I would have to do the same thing with his shirt if I was going to get a good look at all of his wounds.

“Your shirt is going to have to come off too,” I said quietly as I looked up at him.

That was when I caught the slight smirk and raised brow, causing me to level a look of my own at him.

“Really?” I sighed before rolling my eyes at him, as I could guess what he was just thinking.

“Men!” I declared in exasperation, turning back to his shirt as I heard him give a slight laugh.

I could not understand how he could be as hurt as he was and still find humor in the situation. I guess if you face death enough times it loses its ability to frighten you. As I did with the jacket, I followed the seam, what was left of it, snipping the tatters down to the hem and up to the collar. Then gently tried to pull it off of his left side. “Wait,” Leonard suddenly groaned, causing me to freeze as this was the first real sign of pain he had shown thus far.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, frightened that I had caused him even more pain.

“The back is caught,” he replied. I let loose the breath I did not realize I had been holding, got up and walked around behind him as he leaned forward.

“Hold still,” I cautioned before carefully snipping a tatter that was still awkwardly connected to the seam and carefully as I could pulled it out of a rather vicious looking burn across the top of his shoulder. I had just turned to walk back around when they caught my eye.

Scars, numerous, deep, jagged and old looking.

“Leonard,” I gasped, placing my hand on his back, away from the burns, “What…?”

“Scars are inevitable in my line of work,” he cut me off quickly; “They’re nothing.”

There was tenseness to his voice that made me think that there was more that he was not telling me. Slowly, I walked back around, sat back down and helped him pull the rest of the shirt off.

As the shirt slid off his left arm, another long, jagged, scar caught my attention. It ran the length of inside his bicep and made the ones on his back pale in comparison.

“Leonard,” I breathed softly, placing the tips of my fingers gently on the scar, feeling sympathy rise in me for him.

He moved his arm slightly away, as if he were uncomfortable with my seeing the scar.

“I said it’s nothing,” he snapped, causing me to look up at him.

As our eyes met, I know without a doubt this time that there was something he was not telling me. I sighed, grabbing the washcloth, dampening it in the water, and began to gently sponge the burns, which looked like nothing I had ever seen before. If I had to describe them, they looked like a mix of scalding burns while the skin was being sliced by red hot metal.

There were a few blisters from where the rivets on his jacket had burned him before falling off, though thankfully his jacket and shirt had been of natural fibers and therefore had burned away rather than melting into his skin. I kept sponging the bloody burns, fully aware that Leonard watched me intently the whole time.

“You know you can trust me, Leonard,” I said, pausing to look up at him, “You don’t have to lie to me.”

He stared at me for a moment, before sighing.

“Let’s just say,” he replied, moving his arm to where I could no longer see the scar, “I don’t like talking about or even remembering the person who gave me this scar, ok.”

“Okay,” I replied, as I finished cleaning the burns on his arm then carefully put burn cream on them before bandaging them.

Without looking back at him, I began working on the less serious burns to his side. The silence went on for several minutes before Leonard suddenly reached out, cupped my chin, and raised my face to look at him. My breath caught in my chest as his intense gaze held me prisoner once more.

“Trust is not something I am good at,” he said quietly, “But if anyone has proven that I can trust them it is you.”

I smiled slightly at this before pulling away and turning back to tending his wounds.

*****Time Masters POV*****

“Sir, the patient is starting to wake,” the AI informed the captain.

“Good,” the captain replied, “Inform the remaining members of the council.”

The captain then hurried down to the med bay. Upon entering he was greeted by the sight of the injured Time Master sitting up and looking around the bay in confusion.

“Sir, it is good to see you awake,” the captain greeted the Time Master, “Do you remember what happened?”

“No,” the Time Master answered.

“Do you remember your name?” the captain asked, concerned for his old mentor.

“Time Master Druse,” the Time Master answered and the captain breathed a sigh of relief.

“Where are we, Captain Kahn?” Druse asked.

“Aboard the Equinox,” Kahn answered, “We are heading to the fall back point."

“Why?” Druse asked, knowing that the only reason to head there was if the Vanishing Point had been catastrophically breached.

“I know you don’t remember, sir, but you were in the Oculus bay when one of Rip Hunters followers tampered with it,” Kahn provided in an angry tone.

He had always hated Rip Hunter and now was his chance to prove what he had always known. That he was a better captain, a better Time Master than Hunter.

“How am I still alive?” Druse asked.

“You were pulled into the Oculus Wellspring just as it exploded,” Kahn answered, “We were able to retrieve you before any impact to the timeline had happened."

“And the man that destroyed the Oculus?” Druse asked, angry alight in his eyes.

“Unfortunately, he was pulled in as well and, as far as we can tell, also survived,” Kahn replied.

“We will have to go after him and see that justice is done!” Druse snarled, “Do we know his name?”

“Leonard Snart,” Kahn replied.


	4. Chapter 4

*****Mary POV*****

I ducked my head, trying to figure out the warm feeling that rose in me at Leonard’s words, and turned back to the wounds on his side.

 _“So the man more or less just said he trusted you,”_ I berated myself, _“That’s no reason to go off acting like a silly school girl with a crush!”_

I sighed in relief in seeing that I was just about done, before spotting a problem. To get the bandages around him properly, I was going to have to get closer and put my arms around him. An idea that set the butterflies in my stomach dancing, making my hands start to shake. All the while I was very much aware that Leonard’s gaze had not left my face for a moment.

“You’re going to have to lean forward,” I instructed him quietly, taking a deep breath to try and settle my dancing nerves, “So I can get the bandage around your chest.”

Leonard simply nodded and leaned forward with his arms held slightly away from his body. I slowly scooted closer to him and avoided eye contact, afraid he would read what I was feeling through my eyes.

“I won’t bite, if that is what you are worried about,” he drawled softly, and I did not even have to look up to know there was a smirk on his handsome face.

 _“Handsome?!”_ I started at my own thoughts, _“When did I start thinking that about Leonard Snart?!”_

“Problem?” Leonard asked softly, shaking me out of the panic my own thoughts were causing.

“N…no,” I stuttered out before slapping the end of the bandage against the center of his chest, drawing a surprised “oomph,” out of him.

“Here,” I stated firmly, still not looking at him, “Hold this.”

Thankfully, he said not a word, just raised his left hand and held the end in place while I got two pieces of medical tape and secured it in place.

“Thank you,” I replied, as I carefully placed my arms around him and quickly wrapped the bandage around his torso. All the while I avoided looking at him, even though he never took his eyes from my face through the whole procedure.

*****Leonard POV*****

Leonard wondered if Mary knew that her face was as easy to read as an open book. He sat as still as possible with his eyes fixed on her face, thoroughly entertained by the small flirtation game he was playing with her as it took his mind off the pain from his injuries and the frustration of not remembering how they had happened. He guessed from the start that Mary was inexperienced with men as her attraction to him was as easy to see as the dark blush that stained her cheeks at this very moment.

 _“But why can’t I remember?”_ Leonard thought in frustration, as his mind turned to the more pressing issue than what was happening at the moment, his brow furrowing slightly in frustration.

From the time he was a child, Leonard had enjoyed having a perfect, eidetic some of his teachers had called it, memory. So to now not be able to recall what had happened to him was very unsettling, not to mention frustrating. Leonard let out a soft growl of irritation at the situation, clenching his left hand in a fist as he fought against what felt like a wall in his mind.

 _“WHY CAN’T I REMEMBER!”_ he thought as anger started to burn in him.

“It will come back to you eventually,” Mary said softly, now focusing on the minor burns on his face.

“What?” he asked as his head snapped back to look at her.

“Your memory,” she answered, the sympathy in her gaze striking clear to his heart.

How long had it been since someone had looked at him like that? With care and concern, with no expectations of it being reciprocated.

 _“Lisa,”_ he thought, _“She would have been the only person to have that level of concern and love for him.”_

Not even Mick would have looked on him in such a way, being more apt to have punched him on the shoulder, telling him to “suck it up.”

“Thought you said you weren’t a doctor?” Leonard drawled.

“I’m not,” Mary answered with a roll of her eyes.

“Then how can you sound so sure?” Leonard shot back.

“I’m not,” Mary answered again, “But you are exhausted, stressed and injured, none of which are going to be helpful in regaining your memory.”

Leonard looked away from her innocent, but all too perceptive eyes. Mary may be innocent but she was in no way naïve and Leonard had the feeling that she was reading far too much of his feelings then he liked.

“You need to rest and recuperate,” Mary continued, placing her hand over his uninjured one, drawing his eyes back to hers, “Just give it time.”

*****Mick Rory POV*****

Mick sat in the passenger seat of Ray Palmer’s car, staring at the item in his lap and painfully aware of Ray sitting in the driver’s seat and Sara in the back.

 _“Has it really been a year ”_ he thought to himself, _"How can twelve months go by so quickly, yet seem like they took a lifetime?_

 Mick sighed, not even able to find the humor in the fact that he had just sounded like his deceased friend, counting the days since the only person he had let close since his family died had died as well. Mick could feel the whole in his life that Leonard had filled. He had been more like a little brother than a friend as well as a stabilizing force in his life. Leonard’s cool head and meticulous way of thinking had often helped in keeping Mick from going off the deep end numerous times.

 _“And now he’s gone,”_ Mick thought with a sigh.

“You sure you want to do this alone?” Sara asked, bringing Mick out of his depressing thoughts with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Mick looked back at the blonde in the back seat and nodded.

“Yeah,” he said, looked out at the large building that Ray had just pulled up at, “This is something that I need to do myself… For Snart.”

Sara’s hand tightened on Mick’s shoulder in a show of sympathy and Mick could not think of how to express how grateful he felt for her being there during this, even though she was dealing with it herself.

Sara would never replace Leonard, but she was someone that Mick could lean on and call friend. He could even find it in himself to feel a little happiness for her at the sight of the relationship blossoming between her and Ray. As she deserved someone to help her through her grief and Ray would be a light for her at the end of her dark tunnel. Whether there was a light for him was yet to be seen. Mick finally took a deep breath and got out of the car, heading for the entrance of the oddly shaped building. Just as he had thought, Mick did not get very far into the building before a blur of red and a crackle of yellow lightning flashed in front of him.

“What are you doing here, Rory,” The Flash asked, looking defensive, not that Mick could blame him.

He had tried to burn the kid alive the last time they met.

“I don’t want any trouble,” Mick responded, looking down at the item in his hands again before holding it out to the red clad hero, “I came to return this.”

“Snart’s Cold Gun?” The Flash responded, looking confused, “Why?”

“Snart’s dead,” Mick said, even though saying the words made it feel as if he had been punched in the gut, “It is only right.”

“But Snart went with the Legends…” The Flash started before Mick cut him off.

“And he died a hero!” Mick snarled, making the Flash take a step back, “Don’t you think otherwise!”

“Okay,” The hero responded.

Mick then turned to leave, unable to take the sympathy in the young hero’s eyes any longer.

“I’m sorry Rory,” Mick heard him say softly as he hurriedly left the building.    


	5. Chapter 5

*****Mary POV*****

Over the following week, I cared for Leonard’s wounds the best I could, continually being frustrated that they did not appear to be healing at all. My worry for him increased as I also noticed him getting weaker as the days went by and I had taken to sleeping on the second couch in my living room after being awoken in the middle of the night to find him on the floor after trying to get up on his own. It was on the fifth day when things went from bad to worse. I was changing his bandages before heading to work, as he had insisted that I did not need to stay home and **_babysit_ ** him as he put it, when I noticed how warm his skin was beneath my fingers.

“What’s wrong?” Leonard asked, watching my face closely, as usual.

“Huh?” I replied, looking back up at him.

“You’re scowling,” he explained.

I reached out and gently laid the back of my fingers against his uninjured cheek, confirming what I had feared.

“You have a fever,” I answered, worry creeping into my tone.

“So,” he replied in his usual nonchalant tone that was really starting to irritate me, “I’ll be alright.”

I angrily threw the remainder of a roll of gauze into my first aid kit.

“You need a doctor, Leonard,” I said, going back to a point we had been arguing about for the last couple of days, aggravated at his stubbornness, “You’re getting worse.”

“I’m fine without one,” he argued back, glaring at me as if I had suggested he walk into the CCPD with a big, red, bow on his head and turn himself in.

“If you don’t want to help me anymore,” he growled, pushing himself upright as if to try and get off the couch, “Then just give me a ride and I will tell you where to leave me!”

I could not help the low growl of frustration and anger that left me, as I glared back at him with my hands balled into fists.

“Before or after you fall on your pigheaded, arrogant, rear trying to get up on your own!” I shouted back at him.

“What do you care,” he snarled eyes ablaze with indignation, “I’ll be gone either way!”

I took a deep, shocked breath, as hurt built in my chest.

“Is it so wrong that I actually care about what happens to you?!” I snapped at him.

Leonard suddenly froze, his eyes going wide and his lips parting slightly in surprise. It took a few seconds before what I had said, and the surprised look on his face, penetrated my anger. Then shock and fear at what I had said in the heat of the moment filled me.

 I quickly got up and backed up a step, my legs hitting the coffee table. Leonard still did not say anything; he just kept staring at me with that same surprised look on his face.

“I…I…” I started to scramble, looking for something to say, “I gotta get to work!”

I turned quickly, grabbed the unzipped first aid kit and my parka, then ran out the door as fast as my legs would carry me. When I got to my car, I collapsed into my driver’s seat and placed my forehead against the steering wheel.

 _“Please tell me I did not just say that,”_ I lamented, embarrassment and anxiety filling me, _“Please tell me I did not just tell Leonard Snart that I care about him!”_  

But I knew, no matter how much I begged, that I had said it and there would be no taking it back.

 _Oh, what have I done? I am such an idiot!  ”_ I thought, with a shake of my head, _“He must think I am a complete fool. How am I ever going to face him again?”_

*****Leonard POV*****

 Leonard sat in stunned silence, rendered completely speechless for the first time in a many years, as Mary bolted out the door as if the house were on fire.

 _“She just pretty much said she cares for me,”_ Leonard thought as he overcame his surprise, a slight smile coming to his face as a warm feeling built in his chest.

It had been many years since a woman, other than his sister, had said they cared for him without having some ulterior motive to earning his affections. Leonard knew it was a cynical view, but that was just how it was in his world.

Leonard leaned back with a sigh, a frown now starting to replace the smile that had been forming on his face as the warm feeling in his chest continued to grow. He knew that now was not the right time to be developing feelings for Mary. Other than the fact that he could not remember how he had gotten injured, Leonard also knew that there was no way that Mary would fit into his world, she was just too good of a person. He had been telling himself this for the past two days, ever since the night he had woken her up by falling down.

_***Flashback***_

Leonard lay on the couch, wide awake, trying to ignore the pain from his wounds and noting that the clock on a nearby table read 2:30 am. He had been woken again by a nightmare that had felt more like a fragment of memory trying to push its way around whatever was blocking it. The only other sound in the apartment, other than the fridge in the kitchen, was the sound of Mary’s elderly dog snoring in her bed. He had been here five days and still his memory refused to return and to top it off he was feeling weaker by the day. Mary had made several pleas to take him to a doctor, all of which he had refused.

Gritting his teeth, Leonard grabbed the back of the couch and pulled himself up to a seated position, once again thankful that he had convinced Mary to let him stay on the couch rather than moving him to the spare bedroom next to hers. As he was sure that she would be checking on every noise she heard, at least he could move around in the middle of the night without disturbing her… he hoped. Finally, Leonard moved to where he could sit up right with his feet on the floor and tried to ignore how out of breath and tired moving that little bit had left him. He sat there for a moment, trying to catch his breath and gather his strength, before finally pushing himself up.

The act of getting to his feet made Leonard suddenly dizzy and he put out his left hand, trying to catch the arm of the other couch, to steady himself. Unfortunately, the other couch was farther away than he had anticipated, causing him to stumble forward a few steps before his legs gave out and he fell. Fortunately, since he was already leaned to the left, that was the side he fell on and not his injured right side. Leonard lay there with his forehead pressed against the floor and his eyes closed, taking deep breaths and trying to not curse as pain coursed through his body from the jarring fall.

“Leonard?” he suddenly heard Mary call out in a sleepy voice before hearing her footsteps approach.

  “What in the…” Mary gasped as she ran to his side, “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Leonard growled, feeling more embarrassed than now anything, “I’m fine.”

“If you were fine,” Mary answered drily; Leonard could almost hear her eyes rolling in her head, “You wouldn’t be on the floor.”

Leonard let out an exasperated huff at her response before pushing himself onto his back. As he did this, he felt Mary’s hands come under his arms to help him and when this was accomplished he found his head resting on her knees. Looking up at her from this position, Leonard suddenly did not feel the need to be in such a hurry to get up. Surprised by this sudden feeling,  Leonard sat up quickly, hissing in pain at the sudden movement.

“Are you alright?” Mary asked, concern heavy in her voice.

“I’m fine,” Leonard replied in a soft voice, giving Mary a small smile to cover up what he was feeling.

Leonard studied Mary’s face, feeling the sudden pull of attraction and surprised by it as she was not typically the type of woman that he would associate with. She was too innocent, too good hearted.

“Huh?” he asked shaking himself out of his thoughts, having totally missed what she had said.

“I asked,” she said again, giving him a strange look, “what were you trying to do?”

“Oh, I just wanted something to drink,” he replied smoothly.

Mary looked at him closely for a moment before replying.

“Let’s get you back to the couch first,” she said before taking his left arm and pulling it around her shoulders.

As she did this and drew closer to him, Leonard continued to study her, trying to figure out why his feelings were suddenly changing toward her. Mary turned her head and caught him studying her.

“What?” She asked, obviously self-conscious with his close appraisal as her face flushed pink.

“Nothing,” He replied softly, turning away, as he could not help but think about how much he liked to see her blush.

            Finally, Mary helped to lever Leonard back to his feet and they slowly made their way back to the couch. However, upon trying to sit down, her foot caught the coffee table, knocking them both off balance, sending them tumbling onto the couch. As they fell, Leonard instinctively moved his arm from her shoulders to her waist and held her tightly to him. Fortunately, Leonard had been halfway down already so he landed in a mostly upright position with Mary clutched tightly to his side. He sat there for a moment before turning to look at Mary, who had landed halfway on top of him.

Mary stared at him with wide eyes, her face flushing red once more. Leonard could not help but think that with her face colored in a deep blush and her sleep tousled hair that Mary looked completely adorable. Then the thought came to his mind that in the position that they were in he only had to lean down a little to kiss her, causing him to unknowingly tighten his arm around her.  It was Mary’s gasp and the widening of her eyes that brought Leonard back to reality and shock flooded him. He let her go suddenly and Mary backed up a bit and gave a nervous smile before quickly getting up, saying that she would get him some water and quickly walking away.

 As she walked away, Leonard was left in shock at his own thoughts.

 _“When did I start thinking that about her?”_ he wondered, knowing that now was not the time to allow himself to develop feelings for Mary.

_***End Flashback***_

            Leonard leaned back, closing his eyes with a sigh. It was not like he was a novice. Usually when he was attracted to a woman, he went after her. The difference was that Mary was completely different from the type of women he usually went after. She was just so innocent, as shown by her reaction that night and it was that same innocence that was stirring up protective feelings in Leonard. Even the attraction he had for Sara when he was on the Wave Rider had not been a surprise to him, as Sara was along the type of women that fit into his world. Even though deep down she was a good person, Sara had been touched by the darkness and it was the darkness that seemed to be present in every woman that he had been in a relationship with and was absent in Mary.

  _Now is not the time for this!”_ Leonard thought to himself angrily, even as his feeling seemed to become even more entrenched, _“I need to be focusing on remembering what happened!”_

Leonard growled in frustration as the feeling refused to go away, placing his hand over his eyes and forcing his mind away from Mary and the hole he was currently digging for himself. As he lay there, he finally felt himself start to drift off and fell back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up for the next chapter, I have changed the timing for this story as the way it was just did not seem to fit. The change is in the last chapter in Mick Rory's POV. That way you all won't get confused when I reference the new timing.


	6. Chapter 6

*****Mary POV*****

I pulled into my driveway and sat there for a few moments, unwilling to leave the warmth of my car just yet.

 _“What a day,”_ I groaned as I turned off my car and leaned my head back with my eyes closed, _“See this is what happens when you turn your cable T.V. off and rely solely on Netflix. You wind up missing out on some really important news, like say… A FREAKING ALIEN INVASION!!”_

It had not helped that on top of my usual two days off I had also taken four days of my vacation time to stay home and take care of Leonard. My mom had called a couple of times but I had been so busy at the time that I had rushed her off the phone. So today was the first I had heard about it and I had felt like a complete idiot when one of my co-workers had brought it up at work.

 Apparently two days ago a team of heroes, including The Flash, Firestorm, and The Green Arrow had fended off an alien invasion. Then, to make my day even better, my supervisors decided that today was a great day for performance reviews. All of this on top of my big mouth this morning had made for a _wonderful_ day.

 _“Well, at least the day is over,”_ I thought with a sigh, trying not to think about my slip of the tongue this morning, _“Anyway, today can’t get any worse.”_

As I thought this, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Knowing that I was stalling in facing Leonard, I pushed the feeling aside and got out of my car.

 _“He has probably all forgotten about it,”_ I thought, chiding myself for being paranoid as I went inside.

As I stepped through the door, I was surprised to find no lights on.

“Leonard?” I called, but received no response.

Upon turning on the light, I saw him asleep on the couch, so I quietly let my dog out into the back yard before going over to wake him.

“Leonard,” I said again, giving his uninjured shoulder a slight shake.

I drew back with a slight gasp at how overheated his skin felt, my concern going up a notch when he still did not wake.

“Leonard, you need to wake up!” I said urgently, cupping his uninjured cheek.

The only response I got was a soft groan and a slight fluttering of his eyelids as he slightly turned his face into my hand.

His face was even hotter than his shoulder had been, telling me that the fever I had detected this morning had gotten much worse. Getting up, I ran to the bathroom, soaked a clean rag in cold water, and then returned to lay it across Leonard’s scorching forehead. For the next hour, I did everything I could to wake him and get his fever down, but nothing worked. That was when I knew I needed help, but I also knew that calling an ambulance was out of the question as I had no way of explaining how he had gotten injured. I paced my living room, trying to figure out what to do when it hit me and I knew the one person I could call as they had said for me to do so if I ever needed help. I grabbed my wallet, removed a business card and called the number on it, the whole time praying that Leonard would not hate me for what I was about to do.

*****Group POV*****

Barry sat with Caitlyn, Cisco, Joe, Iris and Kara, and watched as everyone from Team Arrow and the Legends filed into the small pub. The last two people to arrive were Mick Rory and Lisa Snart. Lisa sat down next to Cisco, who gently took her hand as she looked as if she were about to break down. They had pushed several tables together to make one long table at the back of the pub where they would not be disturbed. Finally, after everyone was settled, Ray spoke up.

“I glad everyone could make it,” he began, “With everything that has happened over the last year and since we have a rare moment of peace, we all felt we needed to honor the memory the friend we have lost.”

Everyone nodded; those closest to Leonard swallowed hard a couple of times as emotions built up.

“If you had told me two years ago, after I had first met Leonard Snart, that I would be raising a glass in his memory and proclaiming him a hero,” Barry said with a smile, “I would have called you crazy.”

“But thankfully some leopards do change their spots,” Joe cut in.

“Many of you did not know Lenny as I did,” Lisa spoke up, tears could be clearly heard in her voice, “But he was more than a criminal, he was my brother.” 

Cisco tightened his hold on her hand in a show of support as Mick, who was seated on her other side, placed his hand on her shoulder.

“He defended me so many times as a child,” Lisa continued, “He had this large scar that ran down the inside of his bicep that he got defending me against our father. That was not the first time or the last that he took a beating from our father for me, he was always a true hero to me.”

“I remember just after we lost Carter on our first mission,” Jax picked up after Lisa went silent as tears ran down her face, “We were standing on the bridge of the Wave Rider discussing what we should do next. What Snart said really showed to me his character.”

“What did he say?” Kara asked, being the only person in the group that had never met Leonard Snart, she was genuinely interested in learning about the man.

“He said, “You take out one of **MY** crew, you’re gonna pay the price,”” Jax quoted with a smile, “That said more to me about him than anything else he could have done. It showed that he was willing to be a part of the team.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and as the rest of the evening wore one more stories were traded, some sad, others humorous, but all touched with affection for the friend and brother they had all lost. Later, as everyone was laughing at a story that Barry had told, Joe was surprised to hear his phone ring, as he was not on call tonight. Joe pulled it out and frowned when he did not recognize the number, still half listening to what everyone was saying.

“What did he say?” Ray leaned forward, a big grin splitting his face.

“I had chased him onto a commuter train,” Barry replied, with a shake of his head at the memory, “But instead of being upset at being caught, he turned with a smirk on his face and said, “Does your mom know you’re out past your bedtime?””

Everyone cracked up, as it seemed that every time The Flash and Captain Cold met Snart never missed an opportunity to take a shot at Barry’s age. Joe plugged his ear and answered his phone, raising his brows in surprise at who the caller was.

“Okay, I’ll be there in few minutes,” he promised when the caller insisted that it was an emergency.

“I’ll be back,” Joe quietly excused himself to Barry before leaving.

*****Det. West POV*****

 Ten minutes later, Joe pulled up in front of the small house to see Mary pacing on the front porch.

 _“She really should stop wearing that,”_ Joe thought when he saw that she was still wearing the parka that Snart had left with her.

He could not help but shake his head as he wondered what Snart’s reaction would be if he knew how profound of an impact he had left on Mary’s life. Joe got out of the car and approached the young woman.

“Detective West, thank you so much for coming out,” Mary greeted him, “I’m sorry about calling so late, but I did not know who else to call.”

Joe could see that she was really worried about something.

“It’s no problem, that’s what I gave you the card for,” he answered, trying to calm her, “What’s wrong?”

Mary stopped for a second, bit her lip and gave him a worried look, before turning to lead him inside.

“This way,” she said quietly and Joe furrowed his brow in confusion.

His confusion became even greater when they stepped inside.

“As I said,” Mary repeated softly, “I did not know who else to call.”

“Oh you have got to be kidding me,” Joe said in a shocked tone as he looked at an unconscious but very much alive Leonard Snart.

“I need to make a phone call,” he said faintly before heading back outside.

*****Barry POV*****

Barry sat and listened to the others telling stories about when they were in the Wave Rider, inwardly pleased that Snart had changed to much. He looked over at Lisa, and even though she occasionally had tears in her eyes, he could tell that the relationship that had started between her and Cisco shortly after her brother had left with the Legends was going to help her get through this. Suddenly, just as he was starting to wonder where Joe had to run off to, his phone rang. Seeing it was Joe, Barry quickly picked, hoping that there was nothing wrong.

“Joe,” Barry greeted, “What’s going on?”

“Barry, I need you to meet me at Mary Alexander’s house,” Joe said without preamble and then gave him the address, “Bring Caitlyn with you.”

“Bring Caitlyn?” Barry asked; worry creeping into his tone, “Why? What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain when you get here,” Joe said, “One other thing, Come as the Flash.”

Hearing this Barry knew something was up. So, after hanging up, he got Caitlyn and hurried to the address that Joe had given him.  


	7. Chapter 7

***Barry POV***

"Why would Joe need both you and me?" Caitlyn asked as they hurried out of the pub, "And to top it off he does not need just you, but the Flash?"

"I don't know," Barry replied as they reached the exit, "But it sounded urgent."

"Well, we will have to go back to the lab so I can get my med kit," Caitlyn said and they were just about to leave when Cisco came running out with a confused look on his face.

"Where are you guys running off to?" he asked and then listened with a shocked look on his face as Barry told him what Joe had said.

"Mary Alexander?" Cisco asked, furrowing his brow in memory, "Isn't that the woman…"

"That Snart saved?" Barry finished, "Yeah, same one. Look when I know something I'll tell you."

"You'd better," Cisco exclaimed, a frightened look coming to his face, "Because if this has something to do with Snart and Lisa finds out we didn't tell her, she'll kill me first. Mainly because I'm slower than you."

Barry snorted a bit in laughter before carefully picking Caitlyn up before speeding off.

Barry and Caitlyn arrived at the address that Joe had given them a few minutes later.

"This is why I prefer to drive," Caitlyn quipped with a shake of her head as Barry held onto her arm to steady her against the dizziness she felt when he had set her on her feet.

"This is faster," Barry replied with a slight smile.

"Took you two long enough," Joe called out from the porch where he had been anxiously waiting for them.

"It's only been five minutes," Barry replied incredulously, "Why don't you just tell us what the big emergency is anyway?"

"Huh uh," Joe said with a shake of his head, "This you have to see to believe."

With that he turned and led the confused pair into the house.

When Joe opened the door the first person they saw was Mary Alexander. When she saw the Flash the expression on her face quickly changed from confusion to fear, which confused Barry even more as this was not the reaction he was used to getting from innocent people.

"Detective West!" she exclaimed, "I called you for help not for…"

"Miss Alexander they ARE here to help, "Joe quickly reassured the woman, "Please trust me."

"To help with what?" Barry asked.

In response, Joe merely moved out of the doorway and gestured to the couch. Barry's jaw dropped and Caitlyn gasped at seeing Leonard Snart lying there, unconscious but alive.

"You have got to be kidding!" they said in unison.

"You are going to help him," Mary asked, concern and worry flowing from her, as she walked over and sat beside Leonard, "Right?"

"Yes," Caitlyn answered as Mary's voice shook both of them out of their shock and went to the couch and began to look at Snart's wounds.

"How is he here? Barry asked turning to Mary, "We were told he was dead!"

"I don't know," she replied, looking shocked at this revelation, and then told them what had happened the past week.

"We need to get him back to the lab where my equipment is," Caitlyn said as she finished.

"I'm coming with you," Mary said firmly, her tone brokering no argument.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Joe replied.

"I AM coming with you," Mary repeated stubbornly, standing up to face Joe squarely with her arms crossed over her chest.

"When Leonard wakes up do you really think he is going to be happy to see you two?" she continued, pointing at Joe and The Flash, "Last time I check you all were not the best of friends."

"She has a point," Caitlyn said softly, earning her exasperated looks from both Joe and Barry, "What? An injured Leonard Snart is going to be difficult enough to deal with without him having his usually attitude at seeing you!"

Barry rolled his eyes before turning back to Mary. Seeing the stubborn tilt of her chin, as well as the victorious gleam in her eye at Caitlyn's all too true words, Barry knew that this one fight he was not going to win.

"Fine," Barry replied in defeat.

"If something happens and we tell you to leave," Joe said, not liking the situation, "You do so without argument. Understood?"

"Yes," Mary conceded reluctantly, though the look on her face said she was not happy with it.

"That leaves just one more problem," Barry said.

"What?" Joe asked, not wanting to have to deal with anything else tonight.

"Who's going to tell Lisa?" Barry replied with a shudder.

Caitlyn and Joe looked at each other for a minute before turning back to Barry and answering almost in unison, "Cisco!"

***Leonard POV***

Leonard found himself walking through thick mists as scenes would occasionally play before his eyes. At first he thought they were mirages, but then, as he began to recognize events and people, he realized they were memories. HIS memories. In and out of scenes he floated, as if he were a ghost from the story a Christmas Carol that his mother had read to him as a child. He saw his first meeting with Mick, the day Lisa was born, the day his mother died resulting in Lisa being put in foster care, since their father was in prison again and the courts decided that with Leonard's criminal history that he would not be a wise choice for her guardian.

He relived some of the more terrifying moments, such as when he had taken horrific beatings from his father in protection of Lisa. Turning from these painful memories, time seemed to skip forward and Leonard saw some more recent memories. He saw the plans for stealing the Klondike Dynasty Diamond, the first time he saw the Flash, when he first acquired the Cold Gun, His confrontation with the Flash on the commuter train. Leonard could not help the smile that came to his face as he remembered the trip he, Lisa and Mick had taken on the money he had gotten for the diamond.

As he moved on, he saw even more recent memories. He was standing outside a long, one story, building with two men.

"Samson and Jameson," he thought, recognizing the two partners that had double-crossed him close to two years ago.

Then came a scene that caused his heart to clench in his chest as anger filled him. The sight of Mary's terrified face as Samson held her in front of his as a shield. Leonard could see blood soaking into her uniform shirt over her left shoulder where a gunshot wound could be seen, making the dark blue shirt closer to black in color.

The scene changed again and he was in a dark iron foundry, Samson unconscious on the ground behind him, kneeling in front of Mary, who was tied to a chair. Anger once again coursed through him as he untied her and carried her from the foundry. Then he was holding her as she struggled vainly to move away as he was cleaning the sounds to her shoulder, feeling her tears as they soaked into his shirt. The anger that poured through him at that moment was not only at Samson and Jameson, but also at himself as he had also been part of the reason she had been wounded. Self-loathing began to trickle through him at the thought that he had caused Mary to be hurt.

The scene changed again and this time he heard a familiar, sarcastic voice:

"You should be careful doing that," Mary said,causing him to look up from the gauze he was trying to remove gently to find her watching him from the corner of her eye.

"What?" he drawled, trying to figure out what she was referring to.

"Smiling," she answered, actually giving him a small smile of her own, "You may end up cracking your face."

Leonard could not help the small huff of laughter that escaped him as Mary turned away and gave a small, dry, chuckle of her own.

Leonard left out a slight chuckle as the scene faded and another replaced it:

"Wait!" Mary called and walked quickly toward him. Leonard turned back to look at her and she stopped within reach of him, holding out the parka that was still in her arms.

"You may want this back," Mary said softly. He stared at her intently for a moment, causing her to shift self-consciously, before he reached out and wrapped his long fingers around her left wrist instead of grabbing the parka.

"Keep it," he replied softly with a slight smirk, "As a reminder."

"A reminder for what?" she asked just as softly and he could feel her tremble slightly, though he was certain it was not from fear.

"For the next time you find trouble," he answered, giving her arm a gentle pull, pulling her closer as he bent his head until they were nose-to-nose, "To run faster."

Mary laughed slightly and ducked her head.

"Because there may not always be a hero around to rescue me, right?" she responded, looking back up at him.

Leonard's expression hardened as his hand tightened slightly around her wrist.

"I am no hero," he said emphatically, irrational anger coming to the front at her words.

"That's not true…" she tried to answer.

"I'm a criminal and a liar," he cut her off abruptly, leaning down until they were face-to-face again, "I hurt people and I rob them. Don't make me out to be something I'm not!"

Mary stared back at him, disbelief in her eyes and shook her head. Leonard leaned away and scoffed, before turning as if to leave. Suddenly, she reached out with her right hand and grabbed the front of his shirt to stop him. He reached up and grabbed her hand, as if to remove it, but she clenched her fingers tightly in the fabric.

"It does not matter if others, including you, don't believe you can be a hero," she said in a firm voice, "You will always be one to me."

Leonard froze in surprise at her words and stared, his brows pulled together in confusion.

"After what you went through and knowing that I had a hand in it. You still insist on believing that there is good in me," he said softly, "Why?"

Leonard stared at her, feeling more vulnerable than he had in years at the sight of the compassion in her eyes. Compassion that stirred something in him.

"Because everyone needs someone that believes the best in them, even if they cannot see it themselves." she answered with a soft smile, "If there wasn't good in you, you would have left me in that foundry."

Leonard stared at her for another minute before he released her left wrist. Then, acting on impulse, lifted his hand and gently stroked his knuckles down her cheek once before nodding his head and giving her a slight smile in return. A real smile, not a sarcastic smirk. He then turned and quietly left through the sliding doors. The last thing to release was their joined hands.

Warmth spread through Leonard at the memory, making him think about how his feelings toward Mary had been changing. However, as if brought on by the thought of changing feelings, even more recent memories began to fill his mind, accompanied by another familiar face.

"Sara," he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took sooooooo long! A lot of things have been happening on top of writer's block. But the plot bunnies have come out of hibernation, please enjoy and review.


End file.
